


Small Comfort

by hunters_retreat



Category: Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles
Genre: Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-09
Updated: 2014-04-09
Packaged: 2018-01-18 17:22:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 561
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1436542
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hunters_retreat/pseuds/hunters_retreat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“I just thought,” he shrugged and John knew he was rethinking the whole thing.  “Do you know how long it’s been since I had a Twinkie?”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Small Comfort

  
The bag toppled over as Derek sat it on the counter and John couldn’t help but turn his head to look.  He would have preferred to be alone, to take in everything that had happened lately and try to adjust his world view, once again, but no one was likely to leave him to his own means so soon after Riley’s death.

At least it was Derek.  His uncle would try to get him to talk.  Hell, he’d probably manage it.  Derek had a way of getting under his skin, of making him feel less like a kid and more like the savior of the world.  It was hard to deal with, but John never had to wonder who he was with Derek.  No matter what John did or how it turned out, Derek always saw John Connor and he never hid behind false names or false platitudes.

Comfort food.  It was all John could think of when he looked at the contents of the bag.  Say what people wanted about Sarah Connor’s parenting skills, but she’d always made him eat right.  Said he couldn’t function 100% if his body wasn’t ready for anything.  He might have to eat crap food to survive in the future, but she was going to make sure he got to Judgment Day healthy.

“Derek?”

“I just thought,” he shrugged and John knew he was rethinking the whole thing.  “Do you know how long it’s been since I had a Twinkie?”

A laugh surprised its way out of John’s throat and Derek grinned at that.  He dumped the rest of the food on the counter and threw the bag in the trash as John moved over and started picking his way through the junk food.  He settled on a bag of chips and a Hershey’s chocolate bar, taking a seat by the bar with his uncle.

They ate in silence, the crinkle of cellophane making John smile until Derek got up and came back with a couple different cans of soda.  He snagged one and looked up as he felt the warmth of Derek’s shoulder against his own.  “I can’t say it gets better, John,” Derek said softly, intense eyes turning to catch his own.  “But I can say you aren’t alone.  You don’t have to do this alone.”

John took a deep breath and looked away, but Derek didn’t move, didn’t lean away from the place where their shoulder’s still touched.  He closed his eyes and swallowed against the lump in his throat.  It’d been a long time since anyone had really tried to comfort him.  Sarah was always so mindful of making him strong and Cameron just wasn’t programmed for it.  Riley would have, he knew, if she hadn’t been so confused over what she was doing.  Guilt rose up in him, like it had for the hundredth time since Derek had pulled him out of the house on this impromptu day away from it all.  He preferred Derek to the others.  He’d rather spend his time with his uncle, this incredible man who’d come back in time to try to stop a war they had no chance of stopping.  He preferred the small touch of Derek, the soft press of his shoulder and thigh where they met.  The strength of his personality and his character. 

It was far more comforting than the food.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the [](http://tscc-las.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://tscc-las.livejournal.com/)**tscc_las** prompt of Comfort Food. This was my last entry. I made it to the next to last round so I was happy with that, but I really liked the story anyway. I enjoyed the challenge of writing with this pairing and I'm glad I did it. It makes me love John/Derek all over again to read them so that's got to count for something, right? :P


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